The present invention relates to heat exchangers, especially radiators, and to flow control valves associated therewith.
Heat exchangers have been employed in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fluid handling capabilities, for many years. Many fluid handling systems and processes in which heat is generated, require that the fluid be maintained within upper and lower limits of temperature, either for efficient operation of the process, or for safety reasons.
In typical heat exchange systems of this kind, a temperature sensitive control valve is associated with the main process, which in one state bypasses the heat exchanger and in another state diverts all or some of the process fluid through the heat exchanger, before returning the flow to the process. U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,833 discloses a modified heat exchange system, in which the flow control valve is integrated with the heat exchanger itself. The valve is situated in the outlet conduit of the heat exchanger, for sensing the temperature of the out flowing fluid and, in response to that temperature, taking either one position which permits flow through some of the heat exchange elements while blocking flow through the others, or another position that permits flow through all the heat exchange elements.